Adjustable wall-box strap



Sept. 2, 1930. MANGlN 1,774,935.

ADJUSTABLE WALL BOX STRAP Filed NOV. 23, 1928 A C-QS 2 /75 q Patented Sept. 2, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JAMES MANGIN, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY ADJUSTABLE WALL-BOX STRAP Application filed November 23, 1928.

This invention relates to outlet boxes for electrical wiring, and is more particularly concerned with the design of adjustable straps for the outlet or wall boxes, whereby the fixtures can be mounted thereon regardless of slight deviations of their center lines from those of the wall boxes.

A serious difiiculty has heretofore been encountered in the use of Wall boxes as supports for wall or ceiling fixtures in that it has been almost impossible to properly center the aperture in the wall through which the fixture is inserted, with the center of the wall box. Accordingly, it has been the widespread practice to pull the wires of the circuit exteriorly of the Wall, surrounding the wires with loam or other suitable insulating material, and to then bring them through a nipple mounted in a spider, the fixture being then threaded on the nipple. It is of course advantageous, if possible to do so, to lead the wires through the wall box, and to mount the fixture therein. It is an object of this invention to bring about such a result.

An object of the invention therefore, is to avoid the above mentioned difiiculties.

Another object is to equip a wall box with a strap for adjustably receiving a fixture.

Another object is to equip a wall box with an adjustably mounted wall box strap.

Another object is to provide a wall box with a wall box strap adjustable laterally and longitudinally thereof.

Still another object is to provide a wall box with a wall box strap mounted for adjustment vertically, laterally and longitudinally thereof.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In Fig. 1 is shown in perspective a wall box employing one form of wall box strap according to my invention, while In Fig. 2 is shown in perspective a wall box employing another form of my invention.

At 1 is shown a wall box which, as well understood, may be of any conventional type, and i which is provided with adjustably mounted stirrups 2 whereby it can be secured to a suitable support such as lathing or the like. The wall box is also equippedadj acent 59 its transverse ends with the conventional eyes Serial No. 321,454.

3 for the reception of the usual wall box strap.

In Fig. 1 the strap is shown as comprising a longitudinally extending strip of metal 4 provided adjacent each end with a transverse slot 5. By means of screws or other suitable retaining means 6 passing through the slots and threaded into the eyes 3, the strap l is susceptible to lateral or transverse adjust ment, so that if a fixture to be secured to the strap is displaced laterally a slight distance from the center line of the wall box, the strap is susceptible to a slight movement to accommodate for this eccentricity.

The strap 4 is also provided with a slot 7 extending substantially the full length of the strap. Mounted for movement in this slot is a nipple-retaining means 8 which is shown as comprising cooperating rectangular plates 9 and 1 0, one of which is located above, and the other below the strap 4. Each plate has an aperture 11 for the reception of the nipple of a fixture, and is also provided with a plurality of cooperating apertures for the reception of screws or other suitable clamping means 12 and 13. It is contemplated that in certain instances it may be desirable to form the aperture 11 in the plate 10 diameter, and that of plate 9 a size larger, or thus permitting accommodation of either of two conventional sizes of nipples. The smaller size will thread into plates 10 while the larger will be received in plates 9. It is further contemplated that a nipple be at 25 secured in the lower plate 10. The nipple may, however, as shown in Fig. 2, be an integral portion 26 of the fixture proper.

.In the instance that the fixture is displaced longitudinally from the center of the wall box, the screws 12 and 13 are backed o-fl sufficiently to permit the plates 9 and 10 to be moved as a unit longitudinally alongv the slot 7. When the nipple-retaining means 8 is in a position to properly receive the nipple of the fixture, the screws are then seated in order, to secure the member 8'in the desired position. It is thus seen that the wall box 1 is susceptible to longitudinal adjustment by means of the stirrups 2 and that the strap 4 can be adjusted either longitudinally or transversely to accommodate for slight eccentricities in the location of the fixture.

In Fig. 2, the wall box 1 is likewise provided with the conventional form of eyes for the reception of a wall box strap 14;. In this instance, the wall box is shown as comprising flanged end portions 15 having horizontal legs 16 and vertical legs 17. The horizontal portions 16 are each equipped with a transverse slot 18 through which a screw or other suitable retaining means 19 is secured in the eyes of the wall box. The vertical legs 17 are each provided with an aperture tor the reception of a screw, bolt or other suitable means 20 by which the ve tical portions 2i of the main body 22 of the wall box strap can be secured thereto.

As shown, the vertical legs 21 are each slotted as at 523 for the adjustable reception of the screws 20. By backing oil the screws 20 and displacing the vertical portions or arms 21 vertically with respect to the legs 17, it is possible to secure an exact disposition of the wall box strap with respect to fixtures having varying nipple lengths. ffhen the desired position is secured, the screws 20 are then tightened down to secure the wall box in the desired position.

The main body 22 of the strap 14L is equipped with a central, longitudinally ex tending portion 24. This portion 24, as was the strap at, is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 7 in which a nipple-receiving member 8 is adjustably mounted. The struc' ture of this is shown in F 1, and comprises upper and lower rectangular plates 9 and 10 having nipple-receiving apertures 11 and cooperating apertures tor the reception of bolts or other suitable retaining means 12- and 13. In the event that the nipples oi the fixtures are of varying length, it is possible to adjust the wall box strap vertically to accommodate for this variance, and it is further possible in this modification to provide for both lateral and longitudinal adjustment.

It is of course understood that the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and adaptations, and it is intended that it be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wall box strap for the reception of a fixture and having transverse slots adjacent its ends, whereby it can be transversely adjusted with respect to a wall box and having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, and means mounted for movement in said slot for the reception of nipples of varying sizes of said fixture.

2. A wall box strap for the reception of a fixture and having transverse slots adjacent its ends whereby it can be transversely adjusted with respect to a wall box, and having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, and means mounted for movement in said slot for the reception of nipples of varying sizes of said fixture, said means comprising a plurality of plates mounted on the upper and lower surface of said strap and having means for securing said plates together.

8. A wall box strap for the reception of a fixture and having transverse slots adjacent its ends whereby it can be transversely adjusted with respect to a wall box, and having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, and m ans mounted for movement in said slot for the reception of the nipple of said fixture, said means comprising a plurality of plates mounted on the upper and lower surface of said strap and each plate having a threaded aperture for the reception of a nipple, that of the lower plate being smaller than that of the upper, in order to accommodate for various sizes of nipples.

JAMES MANGIN. 

